From the Top

From the Top episodes:

• 04.22.2024

  Earth Day Special: Clouds and Beetles

  We're celebrating Earth Day with performances that celebrate our natural world. Up first, a young oboist performs a piece inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of jimson weed and speaks about volunteering in a community garden. We also meet a teen...

  
• 04.15.2024

  Let's Get Together: Texas Youth Orchestra & More

  Peter collaborates with a 16-year-old violinist on an elegant rag. We hear Poulenc's trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano and meet one of Texas' premier high school orchestras who perform Shostakovich. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 04.08.2024

  Let's Get Together: Rachmaninoff to Barber

  How does ensemble size and instrumentation shape the listening experience? We hear from a 14-year-old violinist who feels passionately about music-making, meet a teen pianist who takes on Rachmaninoff, and hear Peter play Barber with a young cellist who speaks...

  
• 04.01.2024

  Sonatas! Saint Saëns and Frank

  We continue our exploration of the sonata with two teens from Southern California. We hear a bassoonist performing Saint Saëns and a pianist performing an exciting work by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank. Finally, we are treated to a flashback...

  
• 03.25.2024

  Sonatas! Bach, Beethoven, Brahms

  We hear a range of sonatas including Bach performed on marimba, a late Beethoven work for cello and piano, and a Brahms viola sonata. Performed by teens from Arizona and Texas! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 03.18.2024

  The Swan & More from Michigan: Part II

  We meet a violist with a love for Formula One racing who gives an evocative performance of Schumann. We hear a conversation between a teen clarinetist and his mentor, the principal clarinetist of the Minnesota Orchestra, who share much in...

  
• 03.11.2024

  The Swan & More from Michigan: Part I

  A talented 12-year-old cellist performs The Swan by Saint-Saëns, a flutist with a passion for marine biology plays a dreamy Fantasie by Hüe, and the winner of Interlochen Arts Academy's Concerto Competition performs a difficult but rewarding work by Ysaÿe. Learn...

  
• 03.04.2024

  Celebrating Musicians with Disabilities: Encore

  18-year-old violinist and From the Top alum Julia LaGrand co-hosts this special episode dedicated to celebrating the stories and performances of disabled and neurodivergent musicians. Julia, who is blind, also interviews special guest Itzhak Perlman. We meet a 16-year-old double...

  
• 02.26.2024

  Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part II

  We hear from a teenage guitar quartet playing a lively Brazilian piece, an oboist playing a new work by composer Reena Esmail, and a violinist who imagines herself in Brahms' world when she performs. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR...

  
• 02.19.2024

  Chopin, Guitar Quartet & More from Minnesota: Part I

  We meet a 14-year-old pianist playing a Chopin Scherzo, a classical cellist who also plays rock covers, and a young trumpeter who gives insight into the physicality of playing his instrument. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 02.12.2024

  Black History Month Special Encore

  In recognition of Black History Month, this highlight program celebrates outstanding performances by Black musicians on From the Top through the years. Hosted by Peter Dugan and David Norville, an alumnus, oboist, and former Assistant Producer at From the Top. Learn...

  
• 02.05.2024

  A Celebration of Sphinx Encore

  An encore episode dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the Sphinx Organization.We feature musical excerpts from a live performance by critically-acclaimed chamber orchestra, the Sphinx Virtuosi. We hear from musicians and educators whose lives have been changed by Sphinx and...

  
• 01.29.2024

  Mozart, Kreisler, and Schubert: Part II

  We meet a percussionist from the famous LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts who gives a tour of the marimba to Peter Dugan, a 13-year-old cellist who loves both ballet and music, and a pianist who relates with the...

  
• 01.22.2024

  Mozart, Kreisler, and Schubert: Part I

  A teen quartet plays Mozart, a 15-year-old flutist shares why her instrument is a dependable friend, and a violinist plays a Kreisler arrangement and draws connections between science and art. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 01.15.2024

  Cassadó, Grant Still, & a Unique Trio: Part II

  A 17-year-old pianist plays the work of a lesser-known Russian romantic pianist/composer and describes his interest in robotics. A violinist with a passion for musical suites performs a contemporary work. An exciting trio comprised of bass, flute, and bassoon play...

  
• 01.08.2024

  Cassadó, Grant Still, & a Unique Trio: Part I

  A 17-year-old violinist shares how he deals with performance anxiety and plays William Grant Still. A teen guitarist speaks of his family connection with Colombia and the vibrant piece that was written for him to perform. A 12-year-old cellist gives...

  
• 12.11.2023

  50 Years of Walnut Hill

  We're meeting some phenomenal musicians from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. The school is celebrating 50 years as an arts high school and sharing their talented teens with Guest Host Orli Shaham. Enjoy performances of...

  
• 11.27.2023

  Sensational Youth Chamber Music with Fischoff

  We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Over the years, From the Top has featured the sensational winning youth ensembles of this renowned competition, and we're going to revisit some of these incredible performances. We'll...

  
• 11.06.2023

  Dvořák, Winds, & a Young Composer

  A young violinist explores the connection between powerlifting and music. A teen bassoonist plays a stirring piece, a trombonist shows off the range of his instrument and shares his passion for nutrition. And a young composer presents their exciting work...

  
• 10.16.2023

  Meet the Winners: Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part II

  We're back at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. You'll hear more incredible performances, including some with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and meet semi-finalists and winners of the competition. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 10.09.2023

  Behind the Scenes at the Cliburn, Part I

  We're backstage at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival. Hear brilliant performances from the competitors and learn more about this outstanding group of young pianists gathered from around the world. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy...

  
• 09.25.2023

  Bach, Bassoon & John Williams

  A teen guitarist from Colorado plays a beautiful work by Bach, a cellist plays an emotional Elegy by John Williams, and a pianist performs a piece that draws from the worlds of classical and jazz. We'll also hear from a...

  
• 09.04.2023

  Euphonium Fanatic, Rachmaninoff, & More

  We hear Clara Schumann performed on clarinet, a ferocious performance of Rachmaninoff, and a moving new cello work inspired by the pandemic. We also meet an 18-year-old who loves the euphonium so much that he's determined to make it a...

  
• 06.19.2023

  Four Hands Piano & Atlanta Music Project

  Clarinetist Alex Laing joins Peter Dugan at the Atlanta Music Project for a program featuring musicians from Georgia! We hear the fantastic Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir performing a Spiritual. A flutist shares her love for Eastern European Folk...

  
• 05.29.2023

  Magic of the Masters

  We're treated to the magical music of Classical masters Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Kreisler. Plus, an 18-year-old soprano finds inspiration in the history of the first African American Opera House in the United States in her hometown of Pittsburgh. And...

  
• 05.08.2023

  Classical Guitar, Sax Quartet, & More

  We meet an award-winning saxophone quartet from Texas. A teen flutist who is also a talented figure skater performs Faure. An impressive 16-year-old performs a piece by a guitarist/composer who inspires him, and a violinist from Hong Kong studying in...

  
• 04.24.2023

  Remarkable Teen Musicians & Iconic Arts Leader Deborah Borda

  New York Philharmonic President and CEO Deborah Borda joins Peter Dugan as co-host and shares insights into her iconic career at the helm of the country's leading orchestras. She speaks with an inspiring 16-year-old violist who is an emerging leader...

  
• 04.10.2023

  Chopin, Barber & Bach on Mandolin

  We meet young musicians from all over the country, from South Carolina to California. A 17-year-old cellist fulfills a childhood dream to be on From the Top and kicks off the program with a gorgeous Beethoven piece. We also hear...

  
• 03.27.2023

  Celebrating Musicians with Disabilities

  18-year-old violinist and From the Top alum Julia LaGrand co-hosts this special episode dedicated to celebrating the stories and performances of disabled and neurodivergent musicians. Julia, who is blind, also interviews special guest Itzhak Perlman. We meet a 15-year-old double...

  
• 03.06.2023

  Terrific Trumpeter, Award-Winning Trio, & More

  This week features young musicians studying at the Colburn School in LA. They range from a 14-year-old cellist with a mature performance of Beethoven to the winners of a major chamber music competition whose secret to success just might be...

  
• 02.13.2023

  Brahms, Wieniawski, and a Young Pianist

  We hear the first work Brahms wrote for a solo instrument and a stunning Wieniawski Polonaise played by a 13-year-old violinist. We also meet a teenage baritone who has been drawn to community activism since childhood, a guitarist who plays...

  
• 02.06.2023

  Black History Month Special Encore

  In recognition of Black History Month, this highlight program celebrates outstanding performances by Black musicians on From the Top through the years. Hosted by Peter Dugan and David Norville, an alumnus, oboist, and former Assistant Producer at From the Top. Learn...

  
• 01.30.2023

  Beethoven, Rocket Science, & Coltrane

  A pianist speaks of his passion for rocket science and his work with NASA, a talented teen violinist plays Beethoven and shares how an accident transformed his musicianship, a young composer shares a piece inspired by the loss of a...

  
• 01.09.2023

  Schumann, Haydn, and a Joyful Gospel Choir

  Violinist Charles Yang returns as co-host. We meet a bubbly teen violinist, a pianist with a mission to connect with audiences, and a cellist who opens up about mental health. The Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir sing...

  
• 12.12.2022

  Kreisler, Film Scores & More

  We meet a teenage pianist with an affinity for horror movie scores, a percussionist who adapts Debussy for marimba, a talented violinist who likes to read books upside down, and an outstanding trio from Utah play Café Music. They all...

  
• 11.28.2022

  Ravel Quartet & Sibling Dynamics

  Guest Host Orli Shaham finds common ground with a pair of siblings who remind her of growing up with her brother Gil. A lively quartet from Chicago play Ravel. A teen soprano speaks about representation in classical music and connecting...

  
• 11.07.2022

  Incredible String Players Shine at the Klein

  We'll hear the adrenaline filled performances taking place at the 37th Annual Irving M. Klein International String Competition, meet the players, hear from the jury, and of course, learn who wins. Violinist Tessa Lark and pianist Peter Dugan co-host this...

  
• 10.31.2022

  11-Year-Old Pianist, Self-Directed Flutist & More

  Pianist Orli Shaham guest hosts. We meet a sensational 11-year-old pianist, a self-directed flutist who describes the mouthwatering food he finds in his hometown, a violinist who shares a moving piece inspired by the Holocaust, a young harpist who explores...

  
• 10.17.2022

  Sibling Soloists, Fischoff Champions, & More

  Brothers from Chicago talk Formula One racing and share performances of Ysaÿe and Kovács, an award-winning chamber group from San Francisco plays a fiery Spanish trio, and a teen violinist talks about his interest in neuroscience and performs Mozart. Learn more...

  
• 10.03.2022

  Celebration of Sphinx

  This special episode is dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the Sphinx Organization. Featuring musical excerpts from a live performance by critically-acclaimed chamber orchestra, the Sphinx Virtuosi, and stories told by the musicians, leaders, and educators whose lives have been...

  
• 09.13.2022

  Liszt, Strauss & A Fake Horror Movie About Music Camp

  In honor of long-time From the Top announcer Joanne Robinson, this program features some of Robinson's superb comedic contributions to From the Top skits and humor segments. It also features performances by young performers personally chosen by Joanne Robinson...

  
• 09.05.2022

  Trombone Siblings, Teenage Composer, & More

  A moving and sensitive performance of the music of Dvorak performed by a teenage cellist from Chicago, a young violinist from Washington, D.C. who loves to contemplate dark matter when he's not practicing the music of Bach, a teenage trombone...

  
• 06.27.2022

  Schumann, Rachmaninoff & A Reimagined Clarinet Concerto

  The young artists on this week's show bring a range of musical choices to the program, including a Nocturne, a romance, and a piece that chronicles the African diaspora. We also meet a piano duo who act a bit...

  
• 06.13.2022

  Juneteenth Special

  Special guest Kevin Olusola co-hosts this commemoration of Juneteenth featuring outstanding young Black musicians performing works by Florence Price, Coleridge-Taylor, Sam Cooke and more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 05.30.2022

  Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, & an Award-Winning Sax Quartet

  A tenor from coastal Maine who helps out with his Dad's lobster fishing business, a talented teenage violinist who got his start following YouTube tutorials, an award-winning teenage sax quartet, and a pianist who is passionate about music history all...

  
• 05.09.2022

  Fiery Double Bass, Exciting Chamber Music, & More

  Genre-bending violinist Charles Yang returns as co-host, collaborating with some incredible teen musicians from Texas. And don't miss the outstanding double-bassist who gives a fiery performance. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

  
• 05.02.2022

  A Paganini Caprice on the Guitar

  This FTT Mini features guitarist Jiyeon Kim who appeared on From the Top back in 2011. Check out how she blew us away with her virtuosic performance of Paganini's Caprice No. 24 on the guitar. Learn more about sponsor...

  
• 04.25.2022

  Debussy and Childhood Revenge

  This FTT Mini celebrates pianist Jennifer Tu's appearance on our program back in 2010. She performs Claude Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse and tells a funny story of how a desire for revenge first motivated her to begin in music. Learn more...

  
• 04.18.2022

  Carmen Fantasy, Chopin Polonaise, & More

  A 14-year-old violinist plays the wonderful Carmen Fantasy, a teen cellist plays an exciting Chopin Polonaise, a pianist recalls a childhood fear of Mickey Mouse, a violist shows off her talent for songwriting, and an inspiring teenage composer shares a...

  
• 04.11.2022

  Sensational Percussion Ensemble

  FTT Alum, Marcelina Suchocka went on to become a founding member of Excelsis Percussion Ensemble, a group of amazing women percussionists. They tel their story and then perform "Threads" by Paul Lansky. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy...